


GlitCH

by SomeRandomFicWriter



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Psychological Trauma, Trauma, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-18 15:59:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14855789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeRandomFicWriter/pseuds/SomeRandomFicWriter
Summary: Just like every other day, Ruby spent her life in happiness along with her friends. That was until the appearance of a mysterious transfer student opened her eyes. Now she's fighting with everything she's got to preserve her memories.





	1. The Best Of All Possible Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. I made a new story... but I can't help it. All these ideas just keep on coming and I have nowhere to put them but on paper. Er, on here. Anyway, enjoy the story.

“Perception is reality. If you are perceived to be something, you might as well to be it because that’s the truth in people’s minds.” -Steven Young

 

_ BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

Ruby rubbed her eyes as she tried to wake herself up from her tired state. She stretched her arms as she yawned, hoping that it could wake her up. She threw off her covers as she stood up from her bed, walking over to her bathroom before she heard a loud thud from the room next to her. She turned on the sink and splashed water on her face, the cold pulling her from her drowsy state as she looked into the mirror. She quickly brushed her teeth and fixed her hair before she donned her school uniform and skirt to go with her black leggings. She looked into her closet at the red hoodie sitting on a hanger towards the corner and she hesitantly thought to herself as to why she had it in the first place. She knew that it was a gift from one of her relatives but she never wore it as it was slightly bigger than her.

Ruby shrugged off the question as she closed her closet door and made her way downstairs to where her father was waiting, breakfast already sitting on the table as he sat in one of the chairs while reading the latest newspaper. She took her seat and ate until Yang came down the stairs and sat in the seat next to her.

"You sure took your time," Ruby said in between bites of her eggs.

"Hey, this mane of golden beauty isn't going to take care of itself you know." Yang grabbed her plate and began digging in.

It didn't take long for them to finish up. Ruby and Yang grabbed their bags and stepped out of the front door as they said their farewells to their father. The morning was already bustling as many other students were making their way towards Beacon High. Despite Ruby's age she was in the same grade as her older sister and got to attend the same year as her which led to many confusions during her first year. As the red and yellow duo were making their way up the hill, their eyes caught a familiar shade of white as another student was approaching them.

"Good morning you two." Weiss said as she carried a textbook in one of her arms.

"Good morning!"

"Morning."

Each sister said their greeting as they continued their walk to the school. It didn't take them long to see the campus from the intersection a block away. Ruby ran the rest of the way towards Beacon while the two tried to catch up with the younger girl. The crimsonette ran past many other students as she entered the campus, her eyes taking in the familiar sight of the buildings as she ran through the crowd. She spotted a couple familiar faces and couldn't help but shout and wave to them.

"Emerald! Nebula!" She spotted the two talking together on a bench, and when the two heard the rambunctious girl they both turned and waved before returning to their conversation. She ran around trying to spot any more of her friends until she crashed into someone. She fell on her behind before looking up to the brown haired girl in front of her.

"Watch where you're going punk."

"Eh hehe sorry Vernal, I was jus-"

"Just what? Being an idiot like always?" Vernal said coldly.

"Hey! Not all the time!" Ruby said with a small pout.

"Whatever, just get out of my face already squirt." Vernal said as she walked off.

Ruby just stood there looking down at the ground before shaking her head. A smile returned to her face as she went around once more looking for her friends. She found Nora and Sage before the bell rang, signaling the students to start heading to their first class of the day. As she stepped into her first period her eyes were caught on something towards the back of the class. She noticed a new student with black hair and a small bow on her head reading a book. Her face was covered by the book so she couldn't see what she looked like, but she pushed those thoughts away as she took her seat before the bell rang.

The teacher arrived a couple minutes late, muttered his apologies and then went through attendance. As he called out names, the respective student raised their hand in response. Ruby kept on glancing towards the girl in the back to see what her name is, and she almost missed her own. As the teacher finished up the list and closed the attendance roster, Ruby sighed in defeat as she tried to recall if the girl in the back had raised her hand to any of the names.

Just as he placed the roster away, he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Once everyone's gazes were focused on him he gestured towards the back of the class and spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a couple new students attending Beacon as of today! Everyone please welcome Penny Polendina, Sky Lark, and Blake Belladonna."

Each stood up when their name was called, and as Blake stood up her eyes fell on the younger girl as she stared back into her amber eyes. Ruby felt a lump form in her throat, and unsure of what to do she gave a small wave to the taller girl to which she did nothing but sit back down and return to her book. She felt slightly disappointed as she focused back on the class at hand.

...

The rest of the class went by in a flash. Ruby was packing up her bag as everyone else was already leaving the classroom. She didn't register someone waiting right next to her until she reached for her bag. She saw a pair of boots right next to her, and when she looked to see who the owner was she was slightly shocked to see Blake standing next to her.

"Uh um, Ruby Rose right?"

She felt the words forming in her throat but couldn't say anything in response, only nodding in reply to the ebony haired girl in front of her.

"I'm Blake Belladonna, I was wondering if you can show me where this classroom is?" Blake handed her a small piece of paper with a room number on it, and Ruby closely examined the paper while trying to remember where the room was.

"Ah Mr. Port's class, his room is- wait that's the class I have next! We can go together if you like?" She asked quietly.

Blake looked at her in hesitation before sighing, "Sure, we can go together."

Ruby let out a silent cheer as she led the new student down the halls. They both walked in silence during the walk to the classroom, and wanting to break the awkward silence Ruby tried to bring up small talk.

"Sooo... where are you from?" Ruby looked over at Blake only to be met with the same neutral face from before.

"I came from a place called Vacuo towards the far west." Was all she said.

"Cool! I came from Patch!"

"Patch? The small island near Sanus?"

"Yep! The one and only- I thought it was a miracle how both my older sister and I got into Beacon even through we came from Patch."

"Huh, are you a freshman by any chance?"

"Psh no, I am a junior like my sister." She earned an odd look from the older girl, "What?"

"It's nothing, your parents would be proud that you managed to jump two grades ahead." Blake said as she continued walking to the classroom.

"Yeah, my dad was very proud when I told him the news." She said with a smile as she walked alongside Blake.

"And your mother?"

"Huh?"

"What about you mother? What did she say?"

"My... mom? She-" She stopped in her tracks, just for a second an image flashed in her head. It was fuzzy yet she could still make out the main picture out of all the distortion, it was her... it was her when she was younger with tears streaming down her face as she hugged something white.

"Ruby? Are you..." Blake lightly tapped the younger girl on the shoulder, Ruby snapped out of her trance as she shook her head.

"I-I'm fine! Never better!" She said as she flashed a grin.

"Then why are you crying?"

"What? No I'm-" She felt it before it registered in her mind, a small streak went down her face. Her hand shakily made its way to her face as she felt the tears coming from her eyes. She wiped away the forming tears with her sleeve. "We- we should get going, Mr. Port's class is just up ahead."

Blake nodded in reply. The rest of the walk was very short as soon they were standing in front of the English class. As they both stepped inside Ruby noticed how small the class was and that there weren’t many students inside.

“I guess some students haven’t made it ye-”

“Ruby!” The younger girl turned towards the source of the voice and was picked off her feet as the air was squeezed out of her lungs.

“Yang… can’t breathe…”

“Oh right, my bad.” She set the crimsonette down and turned her attention towards Blake. “Who is this, Ruby?”

“This is Blake, she’s new here at Beacon.” Ruby gestured towards the taller girl.

“Hello,” She extended her hand to the blonde.

“I’m Yang, I’m her older sist-” As she took the offered hand and shook it, she turned to face Ruby only to notice the faint tear streak on her cheek. Her gaze shifted from friendly to lethal in a second as she turned back to Blake, “What did you do?”

Blake took a step back from the angry blonde as she strode up to her. “I didn’t-”

“Yeah right you expect me to believe that? I know for a fact that not even Vernal would do something like this-”

Yang felt a tug on her arm, and she was about to yell out to the person holding her but stopped as she saw it was Ruby.

“It wasn’t her fault Yang, really I’m fine.” She said with pleading eyes.

Yang visibly relaxed as she stepped away from Blake, and she walked back to her chair just as she did a gesture with her hands pointing to her eyes back to the ebony haired girl saying  _ I’m watching you _ .

Ruby laughed nervously as she tried to reassure Blake, “Sorry Blake, my sister tends to be overprotective of me.”

“I can see that.” Blake strode towards the back of the class and took a seat in the back corner.

Ruby found an empty chair in the middle of the room just as the teacher entered the room. She glanced back towards Blake one last time before focusing her attention to the class.

Blake however had her eyes shift to her scroll, silently typing away a message.

_ B: Hey it's Blake, I think I found another one _

_ M: Oh really? Are you sure that they are? _

_ B: I'll need a little bit more time to know, in the meantime keep me updated _

_ M: Will do, stay out of trouble Blake. _

Blake closed her scroll and took one last look at the crimsonette.

'I hope that she's one of us- we can't afford to lose anymore'

\--/^----**---

"Hey Blake! Do you want to sit with us for lunch?" Just as class ended Ruby went up to the ebony haired girl as everyone else packed their belongings.

"I... don't know Ruby, I think I'll be busy for lunch."

"Aw really? I wanted to introduce you to all my friends..."

"Maybe next time." Blake got up from her seat and grabbed her bag as she exited the classroom.

Ruby watched the ravenette as she stepped out, and she sighed as she grabbed her things. She wanted to get to know the new student but it seemed that she wouldn’t get that chance today. She opened the door and immediately stepped back as someone almost flew at her, hitting the door frame with a loud thud.

Commotion rang out from the hallway as she stepped out. Several students were fighting in the hall’s intersection. As Ruby got closer, she spotted a familiar shade of black in the center of the fight.

‘Blake?’

The ebony haired girl stood at the center dodging a couple students while delivering a couple punches herself. Ruby noticed another student among the crowd watching the fight. She had bright red hair and green eyes and wore golden earrings.

‘Pyrrha! Did she come here to stop the fight?’

The redhead was one of the popular students at Beacon and she was well known for being nice, intelligent, and for standing up to bullies in the past. But right now she was just watching the fight in amusement with a small smile on her face.

Turning her attention back to the fight as several more students joined in, Ruby watched in shock as no one around her tried to do anything to stop the fight. She hesitantly thought to herself before she stepped forward that somebody had to stop this fight from continuing and she didn’t care if she was hurt in the process. Just as she was about to enter, a hand grabbed her by the arm pulling her back. She turned and was greeted with red eyes that stared back at her.

“What are you doing, Ruby?” She said in a hush voice.

“I’m going to stop the fight, Emerald.” Ruby tried to turn back but Emerald kept her from moving forward.

“Stop Ruby, what would happen if you get hurt?” Emerald tried her best to hold back the crimsonette, but one of her arms was freed and Ruby reached out towards the crowd.

“And if I don’t more people will… will…” Her vision went fuzzy once more- this time the crowd shifted to a white room. Her hand reaching out to a woman laying in a bed while she was clutching something red in her other hand.

“Mom… mom!” Was all she heard, it sounded familiar yet unknown to her at the same time.

Her vision went static until she felt her body being moved back and forth. She blinked and the vision went away, replaced with a blur.

"Ruby? Hey Ruby, you okay? I didn't pull on your arm too hard did I?" Emerald asked as she gently shook the younger girl.

"Huh?" As Ruby blinked away the tears that formed, she looked around to see that the fight was already over. A couple students laid unconscious in the hallway as Blake was nowhere to be seen. 

"I-I'm fine Emerald, really I am."

"But you never cry, come on I'll treat you to cookies."

"O-okay, but let me wash my face first. I don't want Yang to eviscerate you if she sees me like this."

Emerald was about to protest until the thought of the angry blonde crossed her mind. She nodded before they went to the public restroom. Ruby stood at the sink, washing away the dried tear marks on her face.

"Get it together Ruby," She said in between splashes, "Come on, you're a high schooler now... you shouldn't be crying at all like that."

She splashed her face with water for the final time and dried it off with a towel. She stepped outside and joined the green haired girl as they strode towards the cafeteria.

“You know…” Emerald spoke up after a short while, “...I think I saw Pyrrha checking you out in the hallway earlier.”

“Wh-wha-what?!” Ruby’s face heated up as she faced the tanned girl, “Emerald that isn’t funny! You already know that I’m a lesbian!”

Emerald let out a small chuckle as she watched the shorter girl’s reaction, “Relax Ruby-”

“And for the record I heard that Pyrrha already has Jaune so hah!”

“Yeah, yeah but that still doesn’t change the fact that Pyrrha was staring at you in the hallway.”

“Th-that was… oh look! We’re here.” Ruby quickly changed the topic.

The two entered the cafeteria that’s already being filled up with many students. Ruby and Emerald got their food, with Ruby’s extra cookies, and spotted their friends at a table towards the center of the room. Nora was waving towards the duo as they approached, and Ruby sat down next to Weiss while Emerald sat down across from them next to Yang.

“Hey, did you guys hear about what happened earlier?!” Nora said as she took her seat.

“You mean the fight?” Emerald said as she began to eat.

“No, wait… there was a fight?!” Nora yelled. It took her a moment to control herself before she spoke up once more, “Actually you can tell me later, what I was going to say was did any of you hear the rumors of Pyrrha liking Ruby?”

Ruby did a spit take as lilac and azure blue eyes fell on her.

"Not until now..." Weiss' curiosity peaked along with Yang's.

"Who knew that one of the most famous students here at Beacon liked my baby sister~" Yang said with a smirk.

“Ugh, why did you have to bring that up Nora? Besides Jaune and Pyrrha are dating already.”

The orange haired girl wore a wide grin as she replied, “Because we’re friends! Also your reaction was worth it.”

“Thanks Nora.” Ruby said sarcastically as she tried to finish the rest of her lunch.

“Speaking of the redhead, I heard that she’ll be the speaker for the pep rally tomorrow.” Emerald said as she bit into her sandwich.

“Pep rally? Why didn't anyone tell me this?” Ruby asked as she looked at the green haired girl.

“It was announced during Homeroom. Were you not paying attention?”

“Uh um, no? Wait, when did they announce it?”

“Just after the bell rang. Jeez Ruby, you can be such a handful sometimes.”

“Eh hehe.” Ruby scratched the back of her head. “Sorry.”

The sound of screaming filled the room, hijacking the conversation as the group turned to face the commotion. A small crowd of girls surrounded a blue haired man in the center who was doing various gestures that made a couple girls swoon.

“Bleh, not this guy again.” Weiss said as she made a gagging face.

“What’s wrong?  _ Snow Angel _ ?” Yang said with a smirk, which earned her a smack to the side.

“Not another word from you!”

The group laughed at the act until Ruby stood up from her seat and tried her best to impersonate him as she deepened her voice and walked right next to Weiss, putting her arm on the table while looking straight at the white haired girl.

“And I don’t believe that I’ve caught your name,  _ Snow Ang _ \- gah!”

Ruby fell back on her rear as Weiss flicked her forehead. 

“Hey! That hurts!” She said with a pout while rubbing her behind.

“Hmph.” Weiss turned away from the crimsonette.

Yang tried to stifle her laughter and Nora looked like she was about to burst. Emerald got up from her seat and helped Ruby up. The rest of lunch was done with small talks and idle gossip. Once the bell rang, everyone got up and waved their farewells. Ruby grabbed her bag and made her way towards her next class, she opened up the cafeteria doors and caught a glimpse of Blake in the hallway.

“Oh! Hey Blake!” She waved as she approached the taller girl.

Blake walked past a corner without paying any heed to the crimsonette’s shouting. Ruby peeked around the corner only to see an empty hallway, she looked back towards the way she came to see another empty hall.

“H-hello?” Her voice was quiet as she stepped out into the hallway. No one responded as the sound of her footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Her vision flickered as the hallway shifted from a bright white corridor with several rooms lining up along the sides. Some rooms were lit as others were pitched black, she hesitantly stepped forward but stopped as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Two voices caught her attention as two men walked past her, one dressed in a white coat and a stethoscope wrapped around his collar while the other was dressed in darker clothes as his blonde hair stood out from his appearance.

“What do you mean that’s the safest choice?!” The blonde yelled.

“I’m sorry sir, but with her condition there’s not much that we can do.” The other replied, “Look, I wish we could do something for Miss Rose but-”

“Don’t finish that thought.” The blonde let out a loud sigh before continuing, “I wonder how Ruby’s going to take the news…”

The two walked down the corridor until they were out of view, Ruby stood in the center as the background melted back to the familiar school hallway where she was previously. She reached out towards the nearest wall for support as she rested both arms on the stone wall.

‘What the hell is happening to me?’

She tried to collect her thoughts as she propped herself off the wall, she reached up to her face but felt nothing as she trailed her eyes for any signs of tears. She took a deep breath as she tried to walk to her class, she put up a fake smile as she went down the halls trying to hide her uncertainty of what’s happening to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record, it's going to get dark in the later chapters.  
> -SRFW
> 
> Bonus: I got a new beta reader! Expect fewer grammar mistakes in the future.


	2. Myopia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Myopia: a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something
> 
> Notice: Phew I finished it! School's over and I get to relax over summer break, and as celebration I updated all my stories. Enjoy!

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Click!_

Ruby retracted her hand as she buried her face into her pillow, blinking away her drowsiness as she rose from her bed. She got up and went to the bathroom, splashing water on her face as she tried to wake herself up. After she dried her face she went downstairs, where she sat in her chair and ate quietly. Yang came down shortly after, taking the seat next to Ruby.

“Hey Rubes, have you-” Yang quickly noticed Ruby’s mood, and in an instant her motherly instincts kicked in as she scooted closer to the crimsonette, “-Ruby, what’s wrong?”

The shorter girl let out a small sigh as she faced the taller girl, “It-it’s nothing Yang, at least something that you can’t help with.”

“What are you talking about Ruby? Don’t tell me it has something to do with the girl from yesterday.”

“What? No! No, no, no- it has nothing to do with Blake. It’s just- do you remember anything about Mom?”

“Mom? She’s on a business trip out in Mistral. I don’t know when she’ll be back.”

“Are you sure? I mean, what do you know about Mom?”

“Ruby, are you saying that you don’t remember our mom? She was kind hearted, full of energy, and-” Yang stopped as her vision shifted- the scene before she changed to a dark room. A woman with black hair and red eyes towered before her, the look in her eyes was one full of anger. Yang looked down at her arms and saw bruises trailing down, and then her attention shifted upwards as the woman stepped closer to her.

“You’re a disgrace…” Was all she heard as she felt someone shaking her.

“Yang? Yang! You okay?” Ruby asked as she lightly shook the blonde.

“Wh-what just happened?” Yang asked as she looked around the room. Everything was back to normal- but the vision had felt so vivid to her.

“You just blanked out on me for a moment, you sure you’re okay Yang? You’re sweating all over.”

“Wait, what?” Yang brushed through her hair, her eyes instantly widening as she felt the damp bangs. “Look I’m fine Ruby, really I am. Let’s just hurry up before Weiss begins to worry where we are.”

“Yeah we should, I don’t know if I could handle an angry Weiss.”

The two packed their bags and exited the house, but before Ruby closed the door she couldn’t help but notice that their father was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, Yang? Have you seen Dad anywhere?”

“No, I think he might’ve left early for work.” Yang replied.

“That’s weird, I thought dad worked the night shift.”

“What are you talking about, Ruby? Dad always worked the afternoon shift.”

“Really? Since when?”

“Since forever Rubes, have you not paid attention?”

“But I thought-”

“Come on Ruby, we’re going to be late if you keep stalling us.” Yang broke into a jog, leaving the crimsonette behind.

“Yang! I can run circles around you and you know it!” Ruby shouted as she sprinted towards the school.

…

“I told you, Yang.” Ruby said with a smug look on her face.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you next time.” Yang said in between breaths.

“There you guys are, where were you two earlier?” Weiss asked as she approached them.

“Hi, Weiss!”

“Hey.”

The sisters said their greetings just before the speakers sparked to life.

“Good morning, students! I'm sure that everyone is aware of the school’s pep rally today. Just a reminder to all students that the event begins before lunch. I hope to see you all there!” With that, the announcer clicked off.

"I forgot all about the pep rally!" Ruby shouted as she turned towards the gym. She barely noticed all the decoration that was set up when she sprinted towards the school earlier.

"What's it about again? I couldn't hear over the Malachite twins gossiping yesterday." Yang asked.

"I believe that it was going to be for welcoming back all the returning students." Weiss answered.

"Why? It's not like most students wouldn't want to leave. This place is awesome!" Yang said as she pumped a fist in the air.

"I don't know, but we should start to get to class. The bell's about to ring."

"Good call Weiss," Ruby said as she looked down at her scroll, "I'll see you guys at lunch!"

The yellow and white duo waved their goodbyes as the crimsonette ran down the halls, making it to her homeroom just as the bell rang. She took her seat before the teacher arrived. After attendance her eyes drifted towards the back of the class, where she spotted Blake in her seat with her book out. Her attention shifted back to the front as the door opened, and a couple students stepped into the classroom- all wearing colored armbands.

“Excuse me, but is Miss Rose here?” One of the students asked.

“Y-yes I'm here.” Ruby stood up with her hand raised.

“We wanted to ask if you would like to help us in the gymnasium. We’re short on staff and we could use the extra help.” Another student explained.

“U-um if you don't mind me asking, but why me?” She asked.

“Miss Nikos personally asked for you to come.” The last of the trio answered.

The whole class went silent as everyone stared at the shorter girl. The crimsonette stood there in shock for a while until she spoke up.

“S-sorry, I'm not good with organizing events and all- especially with heavy lifting…”

“I see, we'll tell Miss Nikos your response. Have a good day, see you at the pep rally later.” With that the trio of students left the classroom. The whole room remained silent until someone towards the back spoke up.

“Oh. My. Gosh. I thought those were rumors but Pyrrha Nikos actually likes Ruby!” A female voice cried out.

The whole class erupted as most of them bombarded the crimsonette with questions.

“Ruby, why did you turn down the offer?”

“How did you get her attention? What did you do to get her to like you?”

“What’s your secret?! Tell us!”

Ruby backed away from the crowd of students, overwhelmed by the amount of questions.

“I- wha- d-” Ruby kept scooting back. She stopped as she felt someone tug on the collar of her shirt, and soon after she felt herself being pulled from the crowd and out of the chaotic classroom. Whoever was pulling her along didn't stop until she was at the stairway.

“T-thank you.” Ruby quietly said as she turned around to face her savior.

"No problem." Blake said as she opened up the door to the roof, "Maybe we should wait for things to die down before we head back."

"Hey, are we even allowed onto the roof?" The smaller girl watched the taller girl climb up the stairs.

"No, but it's not like they'll check here anyway."

Ruby was about to speak up but let the words die in her throat as she followed the ebony haired girl up the stairs. Once they arrived at the top, Ruby noticed a line of fences that surrounded the rooftop. She ran towards the fence and gazed across the campus as Blake leaned against it.

"Wow-" Ruby said as she looked across the campus. Throughout her years here she'd never gotten a view as great as this.

"I wonder what that was all about earlier..." Blake mumbled as she recalled the events that transpired in the homeroom, "Do all the popular students send other students to do their biddings?"

"Not that I recall, most are usually distant unless they're interested in something." Ruby spun on her heel and faced the ebony haired girl, "Oh, yeah! Are you going to the pep rally later?"

"I- don't think that it's a good idea to go..." Blake answered as she looked towards the exit, "I'm not fond of large crowds."

"Really? It's not that bad, every year they just throw a light show with smoke."

"It's- complicated... Ruby, I think it's best that you don't go either."

"Why?" Ruby raised a brow, "Blake, you're acting a little... off? I don't know, but if there's something wrong you can tell me."

"Like I said it's complica- you know what, just forget about it." Blake propped herself up off the fence and made her way towards the exit, "Enjoy the pep rally, but promise me this Ruby. Stay safe, okay?"

Ruby stood there more confused than ever, "Stay safe from what?"

Blake didn't answer as she left the rooftop. Ruby stayed as she tried to figure out what Blake had just said, but with no avail she went back into the building.

^--/**-/--^-/

The gymnasium was packed with students as the they sat in the center. Chairs lined up in rows were filled with students as they waited for the student representative to come up to the stage. Ruby sat towards the side along with Yang and Nebula, and she scoured the room for the familiar shades of white and green and spotted them towards the opposite side of the room. The gym lights dimmed as spotlights illuminated the center of the stage.

Everyone was silently whispering until the door to the left opened up. Pyrrha walked out from the door and strode to the center of the stage, and the students hushed as they watched her stand at the podium.

"Hello, fellow students! Welcome back to Beacon, and to those who are joining us for the first time- I wish you a great year ahead of you." Pyrrha said.

Ruby tore her eyes away from the redhead as she scoured the room once more, and she hoped even with the dim lights that she could see Blake. To her disappointment, however, she couldn't spot the ebony haired girl.

"From this day forward, you all will be-" Ruby ignored the rest of the speech as she kept on glancing around- it was the same old speech that was recited every year. As her eyes wandered the room, she caught a glimpse of rose petals drifting above all the students.

"-nd with that a word from our principal, Mr. Ozpin!" The thunderous clapping echoed throughout the room as Ruby shifted her attention back to the stage. The white haired man stood at the podium and tapped the mic.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I am Mr. Ozpin- the principal of this esteemed academy. You are all gathered here today in hopes of-"

Static rang through Ruby's ears as she clutched her head from the sound.

"Hey Rubes?" Yang lightly nudged her shoulder, "You okay? We can go to the nurse if you want?"

"I-I'm, I'm-" Ruby stopped and looked up, only to see the students around her all turned their heads to face her. Each and every one of them had a blank expression as they stared at her. "Y-Yang?"

"Yes, Rubes?" Yang asked as she waved her hand in front of the crimsonette's face, "What's wrong?"

The smaller girl took one last look around as she noticed one thing from all the faces- each and every single one of them was focused on one thing-

"Me-" Ruby whispered before she answered Yang, "-Get away from me Yang!"

"Wha- Ruby you aren't making any sense, please tell me what's wrong."

"Stay away from me Yang-" Ruby stood up, kicking the chair back in the process. "-Please!"

The microphone screeched before it hit the ground. Ruby and Yang turned their attention towards the source of the sound and saw a brown haired girl step onto the stage. She had lightish brown skin and brown eyes, and she wore a white blouse with a large golden ribbon tied to the back.

"Everyone, please remain calm and enjoy the show." She said with a smile.

Smoke dispersed from the machines and lights danced around the room, music beginning to play from the speakers. The students around Ruby all stood up in one fluid motion, their faces unchanging as they faced the crimsonette. Yang stayed in her chair as she looked at Ruby with concerned eyes, but the smaller girl however kept stepping back as the students began to approach her.

A loud shrill echoed throughout the gym, and the students surrounding Ruby stood still as black shards erupted from their bodies. Their eyes glowed in a variety of colors along with the edges of the shards.

A handful of students rose from their seats as they tried to run out of the gym, but most of the black creatures took off after those selected students- with her included. Screaming enveloped the room as Ruby broke away from the crowd of abominations and took off towards the exit. She looked back to see only a few creatures behind her, and she slammed the side of her body against the door- swinging it wide open.

Ruby ran through the halls, taking every turn to shake off the pursuers. In desperation, she ran towards the entrance of the rooftop. She wrenched open the door and ran up the flight of stairs, the sound of footsteps echoing behind her as she closed the door once she reached the top. She looked around for the familiar taller girl but found nothing, and she was about to run back down but stopped as the door swung wide open.

Two of them stepped out onto the roof as Ruby's back hit the fence. Despite the shards sticking out of their bodies, she could still make out their faces as they approached her.

"N-Nebula? Dew? W-what are you guys doing?" She said as she looked for any way out.

"Ruby, why did you leave the pep rally?" Nebula's voice was heavily distorted as she stepped closer.

'Please forgive me for what I'm about to do'

Ruby ran straight at them, rolling past Nebula as the older girl tried to grab her. Dew attempted to do the same, but the smaller girl jumped to the side and bolted towards the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dew said as she charged at her. Ruby spun on her heel and ran at Dew, and just as the taller girl brought up her arms she drop kicked Dew into Nebula- staggering the both of them. The crimsonette quickly recovered and ran down the stairs, locking the door in the process. Once she entered the halls, she stopped as more creatures stood ahead of her. She turned around and immediately stopped as she saw the same behind her, and she looked around once more for any exits.

'Nothing, there's nothing...'

The moment one of them laid eyes on her, every single student turned towards her direction and charged. Without any thoughts Ruby ran and shut herself inside the nearest room, quickly locking the door and stepping away while glancing around the room she locked herself in. It was one of the abandoned classrooms, where all the chairs were set on top of the desks and a layer of dust coated the room.

The door shook as Ruby ran towards the windows, and she grabbed one of the chairs and tossed it at the glass- shattering it in the process. The door was blown off its hinges as they stepped into the room, and Ruby jumped out of the broken window without hesitation. Her knees buckled under her as she landed, but she quickly picked herself up and started running towards the main gate. The ground shook from under her as the concrete shattered behind her- several creatures had followed her from the class and they were gaining.

She was just next to the gate until she felt a sharp pain to her right side. The next thing she knew she was sent flying, her body sliding against the pavement after she landed. One of the creatures strode over and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground.

“Why are you trying to leave, Ruby?” The creature asked, or at least that’s what she could make out from the distortion.

She couldn’t answer as her vision began to fade, and she could already feel herself losing consciousness. The grip on her throat loosened as she fell to the ground, and she clutched her neck and backed away from the abomination. When she looked up, she saw a tall girl with long ebony hair and a bow on top.

“Blake?” She asked, but the taller girl didn't turn around as more of the shard creatures approached the two of them.

“Ruby, listen to me. I need you to run through the gate and meet me by the parking structure near the supermarket. Don't stop for anything or anyone until you get there, okay?” Blake said in a stern voice.

“B-but what about you? What if-” Her attention shifted as she noticed Blake’s arms- or more rather, what she was wielding. Blake was holding a one edged short sword that was completely black, from the blade to the hilt. That wasn't the only thing that caught her eyes- Blake’s sleeves were torn all the way up to her elbows as her forearms were also black.

“Get moving Ruby!” Blake’s shout snapped her back to attention. The ebony haired girl charged at the approaching creatures,and  the crimsonette turned around and bolted straight towards the gate.

“Please make it back, Blake!” Ruby said just as she ran out into the streets. She heeded Blake’s word and ran into the city. The scenery shifted from the suburbs and smaller houses to larger buildings and bustling roads. She was in sight of the parking structure before she stopped and leaned against the nearest wall. She let her muscles relax as she took a few deep breaths. Maybe Yang was right- she should’ve run track in the spring.

She pushed herself off the wall and looked behind her, sighing in relief when she didn't see anything following her. Hastily she ran up the ramp and into the parking structure, the parking lot surprisingly empty as lights dimly lit the parking lot. Her footsteps echoed throughout the room as she looked around.

‘What is this place?’

Another pair of footsteps snapped her back to attention as she turned towards the source.

“Back so soon, Blake? I thought you were coming back later when you-” An orange haired man stepped out from a side door, wearing a white jacket with black pants along with a black bowler hat. His hair was parted, covering one of his eyes, however that still didn't stop the other from widening in shook. He froze in place as he saw the crimsonette, both of them standing there for a moment before the man pulled out a black cane. Similar to Blake his forearms were also black, but this time she could see that the white around his eyes had changed to black.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” He said as he approached her.

Ruby threw up her arms in defense as she stepped back, “I-I’m here b-because Blake told me to meet her here.”

“Yeah right you little-”

“Stand down, Roman.” Another voice joined the conversation, causing both the crimsonette and orange haired man to turn towards the source. Ruby instantly relaxed as she saw Blake standing at the entrance of the parking structure.

Blake then looked at Ruby and said, “She’s a Grimm, just like us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I would've uploaded this a lot sooner but I couldn't do much because I got food poisoning. I'll watch what I eat in the future, until then stay safe!  
> -SRFW


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